Method of handling sheet metal plates



Aplir 24, Igsl F, v CARROLL 2,549l773 METHOD 0E HANDLING SHEET METAL PLATES Filed Jan. 24, 1946 Patented Apr. 24, 1951 METHOD F HANDLING SHEET METAL PLATES Frank V.

signor to Carroll, Munster-Hammond, Ind., as-

Inland Steel Company, Chicago, Ill.,

a corporation of Delaware Original application June 18, 1945, Serial No. 600,092. Divided and this application January 24, 1946, Serial No. 643,079

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a very simple and effective method for delivering metal sheet and the like to a stacker in such a manner that upon stacking the list edge of alternate sheets will be at opposite sides of the pile.

As is well known, any metal sheet which has been coated with a hot dipped metal, such as tin, acquires a thickening at the list or drip edge thereof due to an accumulation of metal at that edge as the sheet isA lifted from the molten metal bath. This thickness is such that if the metal is stacked with the list edges of the sheets all at one side of the stack or pile, that side will be very much thicker than the other. In practice heretofore the sheets have been stacked with all of the list edges on one side, after which they are divided by hand labor, usually a certain number of sheets being counted ofi and turned 180 in a horizontal plane, after which an equal num-- ber of the sheets is added without turning so that when the stack is complete the edge portions are of even height, with the center of the stack lower than either side. This is an expensive and cumbersome operation, and the present invention eliminates all need for it by turning alternate sheets as they emerge from the plating bath.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a plating bath of the usual type and having applied at the top thereof the handling device which is the basis for this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side View of the alternator.

In accordance with the invention, the sheets I0 are fed seriatim through the bath of molten metal I I in any conventional manner. They are then fed upwardly by rolls I2 through the bath of palm oil I3 between the guides I4 and the rolls I5. In conventional operation, the sheets at this stage are directed by a guide such as the cone I6 onto the slide I'I from which they pass to a conveyor and are drawn through the bath I8 to a conventional stacking apparatus. In the present structure, however, the sheets come into contact with one surface of the alternator 20 which is provided with two concave cam surfaces 2l and 22 which converge in the elongated point 23. This alternator is pivotally mounted as on a pin 25 in the cone I6 and may rock from one position, shown in Fig. l, to the other, its position being limited by the pins 26 and 21 which engage the sides of the cone I6 at their respective limits of position.

Assuming that the alternator is in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1 a sheet emerging from the rolls I contacts the surface 2I at a point near the bottom thereof. As the sheet rises it rocks the alternator toward the position shown in dotted lines. As it does so the sheet bends toward the right, while the point 23 is brought toward or near the back of the sheet. In some 2 cases the point will actually move the sheet somewhat toward the right. As the sheet rises the Weight of metal above the cam surface 2l gradually increases and, therefore, changes the curvature of the sheet and this permits the alternator to gradually reach the position shown in dotted lines as the movement of the sheet to the right frees the point 23 for such movement. As the sheet emerges from the rolls I5 it falls upon the slide 30 and then passes under the influence of gravity underneath the alternator and above the next oncoming sheet over onto the slide II from which point it pursues the conventional course.

The succeeding sheet finds the alternator in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the process is repeated except that this sheet is directed to the left and falls immediately upon the slide Ii. It forces the alternator back to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1.

It will be observed that the sheets which will fall upon the slide I'I will have their list edges toward the right of the drawing, whereas the sheets which fall upon the slide 30 will have their list edges to the left of the drawing, and this relationship is carried through into the final stack.

It has been discovered that the speed of movement of the sheets from the slide 30 is suciently rapid that there is no interference with the normal and conventional feeding of the sheets from the machine.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 600,092, filed June 18, 1945.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom. F

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In the stacking of hot dipped metal sheets having list edges, the steps which comprise passing metal sheets through a bath of molten metal, withdrawing the sheets seriatim upwardly from said bath whereby a list edge is produced on the bottom edge thereof and then tipping the sheets alternately downwardly toward one side of the bath and upwardly toward the other side of the bath and sliding the upwardly tipped sheet over the bath in advance of the next succeeding sheet.

FRANK V. CARROLL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 13,287 Stiner Aug. 29, 1911 822,698 Steele June 5, 1906 

